Originals Lab - Digital to Analog Polaroid Photo Printer (9019), The Polaroid Lab, Small

This is really easy to use. I love making Polaroid photos of images on my phone and turning then into emulsion transfers.

I got this for myself . I love love it. I wish they had more color options

Maybe it's nostalgia. My uncle had an early Polaroid and I remember waiting, waiting for it... and suddenly a real picture in real time. My mother had an old Kodak Brownie and the film would sit in that thing for sometimes a year before we saw the pictures. Somehow the classic Polaroid print always pulls me in, and back then there was only the one as time went on and there wasn't an option for a copy. Not much has changed, and I wonder how I can be so enchanted by such a dismal picture. The last shot in two packs had vingetting along the sides and even that looks charming. Save yourself buying the camera because you can take a picture of a picture right from your phone. With black and white film the results are outstanding. I was never a fan of Polaroid color so this option really works for me. Not a cheap option, but I am really enjoying the vintage look on my new photos, they sort of look timeless.

I’m a Polaroid photographer and got this for a specific project. It’s fun, but I’m not sure it’s fun enough to keep. Here’s why: 1. Aligning your phone with the “eye” can be annoying - the Lab and your phone will make annoying sounds/lights until they “pair”, which takes surprisingly long and can get “off course” with just an accidental tap. 2. If you’re using the Lab to spit out images back to back, I think it gets too hot and changes the chemistry of the film. I got tons of pink overcast on each image after using it for 20 minutes, on brand-new-direct-from-Polaroid film, in a temperature controlled environment. So the film should not have that issue at all. All I can figure is the internal camera of the Lab is workin hard & heating up, which is Polaroid film’s nemesis (if you ask some), thus changing the outcome. I remade the same images first thing a day later and they looked perfect, no cast at all, furthering my assessment. For $12-20 a box, this isn’t a sustainable way to rely on the Lab to perform if you’re expecting to use it regularly (or in my case, to finish a project). 3. The exposure compensation on the app seems to work okay but I found adjusting it +1/3 actually decreased the image quality. Not sure why that is! 4. Doesn’t seem to like blue. I shoot this film all the time and it does great under the blue sky, but in the Lab something gets weird and distorts the color/tone. 5. The battery charge is baaaad. Like, I’m curious if my is defective bc the battery runs out so fast. On the plus side: 1. It produces absolutely gorgeous black and white photos. Families looking to get photos off their phones would love this for their kids portraits. 2. If you know how to shop Polaroid film from their direct website, you can make these images in an affordable fashion. It helps being very selective about the images you “print” while still getting authentic Polaroids. 3. The app is very easy to use. If you can’t figure it out you’re probably not going to understand how Polaroid film works anyway so just don’t bother altogether. Other notes: 1. YES cracks and scratches will impact your photo quality! 2. YES you *must* take your phone cover off for it to work! 3. Turn off all notifications while using it or expect to be surprised when Jenny texts you about getting dinner right as the Lab is photographing your phone’s screen and you don’t know until your image has this riveting information in Polaroid form. 4. NO it is not a printer. 5. NO it cannot be connected to a digital camera or a computer. 6. NO do not “shake it like a Polaroid picture.”

So, I was going on a trip, and I wanted to get a Polaroid to document the adventure. I just think the photos from Polaroids are cool. I like that they’re immediate and the look of the pictures. But, the Polaroid cameras were a bit more than I had at the moment. I stumbled across the Polaroid Lab, looking for an alternative, and I am SO glad I did. I love it! I actually like it better than a Polaroid camera because you can print out ANY picture from your phone. If you enjoy using silly Snapchat filters, you can print those. If you like to morph your face in apps like Reface, you can print those. The options are unlimited. All you need is Polaroid film, and boom, you have Polaroid quality pictures. And the lab itself is so simple to use. Literally, all you do is download the app. Once you do that, choose the photo you want to print, place the phone on the lab (face down), push the button, and voila, your picture has printed! For $89.99, you can’t go wrong.

Right at the moment this is a 1 star (or no stars). I bought this as a gift not realizing it did not come with film. I also got two year insurance for it. The recipient just now got film (the correct film) and the red button does not work so no picture is ever scanned. I contacted insurance who wanted me to contact Polaroid who may or may not understand, but now is telling me that we have to go through Amazon for the 1 year warranty even though Amazon is saying that the window of return ended one month after I purchased it. Sigh.

This was so awesome to get for scrapbooking or keepsakes for gifts. It prints pretty fast. You do have to wait for it to develop. As well as get used to the app and settings on how u want the picture to come out looking but I love this printer. Any picture on my phone can be printed fast and easy and the app even allows you to scan a picture to add a short video.

I was skeptical because it really is too good to be true and some of these bad reviews really had on me on the fence but i needed to know for myself. I have the polaroid now+ and I was frustrated with how many polaroids i was wasting with bad exposures. It was a hobby I was starting to get discourage continuing. You can never miss with this machine. I just used it and the picture came out CLEAN! I will admit, this takes away from the experience of actually taking polaroids in the moment. It's sort of a cheat code. However, if all you want to do is collect polaroids, use your phone, get the perfect picture, and use the lab. There are steps the app warns you like turning night shift/true tone off and put it on do not disturb in case you get a text while it takes the picture but it's so quick (like 2 seconds) once you line it up with the lab censors. Also remember to take the case off. You can probably get away with it using those slim cases but I wouldn't risk it. Overall, if you're going to sit down and take like 50 polaroids in one session, yea you might be overworking this machine. But if you're a casual like me, this machine will do the job.